Beaches in Mirissa

Mirissa Beach is the main curve of the bay and the reason most people stop on this stretch of coast. Whale-watching boats leave the fishing harbour before dawn, with the blue whale season running roughly November to April. The eastern half of the bay is the calmer place to swim in season, while the west has more shore break. Parrot Rock sits just off the sand and can be waded to at low tide, and the beach bars along the back stay busy after dark.

Coconut Tree Hill is the red-earth headland at the eastern end of Mirissa Beach, planted with rows of palms leaning out over the sea, and it has become one of the most photographed spots in Sri Lanka. The walk up takes about ten minutes through a working coconut grove, so stay on the paths. The small cove below it, often called Turtle Point, is where green turtles feed close to shore. Go at sunrise to miss the crowd that gathers for sunset.

Secret Beach is a set of small coves west of Mirissa town, reached by a steep track over the headland rather than off the coast road, which is why it holds a fraction of the crowd of the long strands on this list. Rock breaks up the sand, so swimming depends on the state of the sea, and a couple of cliffside bars above serve drinks with a view over the water.

Weligama is the next bay west, about 6 km from Mirissa, and it is the opposite kind of beach: a long, flat, sandy sweep where the waves break small and slow, which makes it the easiest place on the south coast to learn to surf. Board hire and lesson shacks run the length of it, and Taprobane, the tiny island with a single villa on it, sits just offshore. Stay here for the surf school and ride over to Mirissa for the evenings.

Madiha is a short ride east of Mirissa towards Matara and far quieter than the main bay. Its consistent reef break draws surfers who have outgrown Weligama, and sea turtles come ashore to nest here in season. There are guesthouses and cafes but no bar strip, so it suits people who want Mirissa's whale boats and restaurants within reach without sleeping next to them.

Polhena is about 10 km east of Mirissa on the edge of Matara, and a reef just offshore turns it into a shallow lagoon with waist-deep water. That makes it the easiest beach on this list for a proper swim and for first-time snorkellers, and green turtles often feed close to the shore. It is a local family beach rather than a resort one, busy at weekends and quiet on weekdays.

Hiriketiya is a small horseshoe cove just past Dickwella, about 40 km east of Mirissa, and it has become the south coast's favourite surf spot. The break on one side of the bay suits beginners and improvers, while the other corner is usually calm enough to swim. Cafes, yoga studios and guesthouses sit among the palms behind the sand. It is a long day trip from Mirissa, so many people move on and stay a night instead.

Located about 30 km from Mirissa, the Dickwella beach is a tranquil, peaceful and large gold beach in the Dickwella town of Sri Lanka. The main Dickwella beach has a length of two kilometres. Rocks and reefs protect it from the winds and high waves, so this is one of the ideal "bathing" beaches near Mirissa.